By Mildred Ndum Wung Kum
Unique talents of those whom society classifies as “persons with disability” mesmerized onlookers during a ceremony to celebrate the 2020 international day of persons with disability. Tens of persons with disability exhibited a blend of dexterity, artisanal skills, sports and intuitiveness thereby affirming their special abilities.
Amputees play football during celebration
The ceremony was organised by an NGO known as “Think Big” to mark the 2020 celebration of International Day of Persons with Disability. The occasion which took place at the CBC Field, Bamenda was a moment for persons with disability to showcase their skills and special abilities.
Think Big’s Chief Executive Officer is Fon Dieudonne. He is a right limb amputee rendered by elephantiasis disease. Mr Dieudonne said he organised the celebration to showcase to the world that persons with disability have special abilities and to encourage other disability persons. The amputee exhibited his talents in playing football and was a runner during a track event on the day’s celebration. He spoke about his potentials while encouraging other peers “I am leading the association called Think Big and we have a football club called Abakwa Boys. So though we have visible disability we want to disprove the public by encouraging other persons with disability to join us to project their talents and do great things by building inclusive soceities. People should not only call us when they want to share rice; people should call us when they want to build a bridge, construct a community hall and do sports”
Ijang Julienne is wheelchairbound yet she does crocheting and embroidery “I cannot stand but I make dresses. I want to encourage other persons with disability that they should do something so that they can be the bread winners of their family and not just be dependant” she said while presenting clothes made by her own hands to the public.
Fotso Johnas who moves by aid of a wheelchair says he was paralysed after falling from a storey building. He is gifted with speech motivation “It is in this challenge that I have learned what I am made of. In this situation I serve as a motivational speaker, I counsel heartbroken people and in this situation I have learned how to encourage myself and encourage others”
Koshi Margaret, CEO of Children’s Development and Effective Organisation who joined Think Big to celebrate persons with disability acknowledged that disability persons truly have special abilities and should be included in soceital activities
“When we look at them and what they can produce we realise that people who seem to be able and who have all the potentials cannot do what they do. For example they play football with one leg but I who has two legs cannot”
wheelchairbound showcases her products
This year’s World Day of Disability was commemorated on the theme “Not all disabilities are visible”.
Persons with disability celebrating the 2020 edition
Think Big was also joined by several other organisations to make the day, Prominent were the Northwest Regional Delegation of Social Affairs,
Legal Housing and Real Estate and the Center for Strategic Communication Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development